Trace the history of any old industrialist family in India and the origins inevitably lie in textiles. It was no different for C. Valliappa whose grandfather was known as the Textile King of the South. Valliappa inherited both the textile tradition and Gandhian values of his forebear. But in the late 1990s, labour unrest and a combination of unfortunate happenings resulted in the sinking of fortunes. In a remarkable story of reinvention, Valliappa pulled himself up and pivoted to IT. Sona Towers set up by Valliappa in Bengaluru in the 1980s was the birthplace of not only India’s IT industry, but also the headquarters of its telecom and consumer revolutions. It was here that Texas Instruments, VSNL and Titan established their initial offices. An exceptional man, at 75, when most people retire, Valliappa ventured into real estate, building over a thousand homes.

The Sona Story details Valliappa’s extraordinary business and personal journey and Indian IT’s flag-off days. With 24 pages of behind-the-scenes photographs, it also takes you into the fascinating history of the Chettiar community, bringing to you an account of a man who broke from tradition while staying deeply connected to his roots, a true entrepreneur, C. Valliappa.